Most of the time the blog will focus on finance, economics and politics, but in a casual informal way befitting our ability and interest. A special focus will be on China. This focus is what we feel makes coming to the United States of Alexander unique. As always there will be movie reviews, random thoughts and general moodiness and whimsy thrown in.
I wanted to mention some things that we believe so that you know our bias points.
- We believe that our system of taxation needs to be changed, with some sort of minimal flat tax, combined with a kind of tax on consumption (which by its nature becomes voluntary). Simplify, and balance revenues with expenditures.
- We tend to be quite conservative on social issues, but with the understanding that all things involve people coming to a conscious decision to choose "good". You cannot compel it for it to be authentic.
- We believe that good is often defined by that which needs to be done, and that the good we choose to do is not always "God's good" or the good we are best designed to perform. For example, a person passes out on an airline. Two people stand up wanting to help. One is a doctor and the other has book knowledge on basic first aid. One is better suited for the good at hand.
- We believe President Obama has been quite centrist, and productive, and has experienced a massive backlash based not on factual concerns about the nation, but people's inability to accept change, understand economics, or tolerate difference. Not all people mind you, but a vocal and powerful minority.
- In the same way we liked George Bush and appreciated his efforts and recognized his flaws, we also do the same for the current President. We voted for each one.
- We believe the current Tea Party movement is neither patriotic, inspired, self aware, or cognizant of history, economics, law or morality. It's selective in its appreciations, deceptive in its origins and presents no cogent answers for complicated problems, while disrespecting the President at the same time.
- We believe the Bible, and orient ourselves toward the New Testament, instead of cherry picking from both Testaments thus creating a kind of incoherent Christianity or moral code. We also believe that people professing patriotism, morality or a return to values should begin with loving their enemies and not bearing false witness.
- We respect intellect in anyone, whether one has the outlook of C.S. Lewis, or Christopher Hitchens.
- We believe in the merits of capitalism as an economic system to the extent it is harmonized with moral constraints and limits upon unregulated action. Humans lack the ability to pursue anything to its extreme and regulation is often necessary in the form of checks and balances. Unchecked freedom that runs roughshod over all is anarchy. True anarchy is slavery, for you then live in fear.
- We believe the United States is a unique force for global good. We don't expect the average person in Russia, or China or Sweden to assume the same. We believe rational people will acknowledge our good, but we hardly expect people of other nations to put us above their own, any more than an American should put Cambodia or France first. In other words, respect and love where you came from, while acknowledging your own flaws and recognizing the good in others.
- Hamilton is our favorite founding father.
- We believe that government should be small, but should provide certain fundamental things: regulation of industry when necessary to protect individuals against damaging avarice; the defense of America and its interests and allies; the protection of citizens from the vagaries of local inclinations (think blacks during Jim Crow), and to provide those things which individuals or businesses or charities can't or won't provide. This would include basic affordable health coverage, early education and care for the elderly.
- We are pretty sure that China will be the major economic engine of the world going forward, and demonizing that country makes little sense. Americans view them from an old framework that needs updating. We must also realize that China will face all the organization problems of massive economic expansion and the United States has a great opportunity to fine tune and perfect what we already have, becoming a smaller, yet more stable, more prosperous and flexible player on the world scene.
- We believe in Jesus, and the multitude of benefits that Christ, Christianity and Christians have brought to the world, which eclipses any of the negative and isolated factoids that people use to dismiss the religion as a whole. In fact, in those unique historical moments when a "Christian" is doing something un-Christian, that is in fact not Christianity. Christianity is what you do, not what you say or proclaim and is not static. Your salvation may be static and not subject to your failure, but your Christianity is like a tool, that you either are picking up and using, or leaving lying about. If I am killing you, or tearing you down, or lying about you, I am in fact not practicing Christianity, but being my own self or practicing evil.
We hope the above gives you a sense of where we are coming from. However we are not constrained by the above, nor do we expect readers to be constrained by our own inclinations.
Welcome!
